In Trump probe, feds seek to pierce attorney-client privilege
WASHINGTON — Justice Department prosecutors investigating the mishandling of classified documents at Donald Trump’s Florida estate are seeking to pierce the attorney-client privilege and want to again question one of the former president’s lawyers before a grand jury, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday night. The privilege protects...
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she will retire at the end of her current term
LOS ANGELES — Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, whose groundbreaking political career shattered gender barriers from San Francisco’s City Hall to the corridors of Capitol Hill, said Tuesday she won’t seek reelection in 2024. The senator, who turns 90 in June, is the oldest member of Congress and has faced questions...
Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey undergoes prostate cancer surgery
HARRISBURG — Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania underwent surgery for prostate cancer on Tuesday; it was successful and he expects to return to a “normal schedule” after recovery, his office said. “His doctor reports that, as expected, the procedure went well and he confirmed that the Senator should not...
Fraternity president, science student among Michigan State shooting victimsVideo
EAST LANSING, Mich. — One student was a fraternity chapter president. Another was a science student with fond memories of her days as a high-school athlete — and the third was a frequent volunteer who wanted to become a pediatrician. Family and friends mourned the deaths of three Michigan State...
Court nixes Fox News’ bid to end voting tech firm’s lawsuit
NEW YORK — A New York appeals court on Tuesday rejected Fox News’ bid to shut down a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit accusing the network of spreading lies that a voting-technology company helped “steal” the 2020 election from then-U.S. President Donald Trump. A five-judge panel ruled unanimously against the network, host...
Winner of $2B Powerball jackpot revealed in California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The winner of November’s record-high $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot was identified in California on Tuesday, the state lottery announced. California Lottery Director Alva Johnson said the winner was a man named Edwin Castro, but released no other information about him, including his hometown. Castro declined to appear...
Woman accused in dismemberment slaying attacks her attorneyVideo
GREEN BAY, Wis. — A woman accused in a grisly killing and dismemberment case in Wisconsin attacked her attorney Tuesday during a court hearing, moments after a judge agreed to delay her trial. Taylor Schabusiness, 25, was seated in a Brown County circuit court when her attorney, Quinn Jolly, asked...
Man who used stun gun on cop in Jan. 6 riot pleads guilty
A California man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to using a stun gun to attack a Washington, D.C., police officer who was brutally injured while trying to defend the U.S. Capitol from the angry mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. Daniel Rodriguez, 40, of Fontana admitted to...
Penn State sends support message to Michigan State University after mass shooting
Leaders of Penn State University expressed shock and sympathy over Monday night’s mass shooting at a sister Big Ten institution and assured their own campuses across the Commonwealth that safety and counseling services are available. The shooting that left three Michigan State University students dead and five critically wounded traumatized...
N.J. Gov. Murphy says state will expand AP Black history classes
TRENTON, N.J. — Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday that his administration is expanding Advanced Placement African American Studies courses next year from one school to 26 in New Jersey after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis blocked the course from being taught in public schools in Florida. Murphy’s move comes about...
Kyiv clamors for fighter jets as war nears ‘critical’ phase
BRUSSELS — Ukraine on Tuesday renewed its appeal to Western countries for fighter jets to help frustrate Moscow’s invasion, as senior defense officials from the United States and its NATO allies said the war with Russia is approaching a critical stage. With the war set to enter its second year...
Struggle to get aid to Turkey and Syria after massive earthquake
JINDERIS, Syria — Aid agencies and governments stepped up efforts Tuesday to get help to earthquake-devastated parts of Turkey and Syria, but a week after the disaster many of those left homeless were still struggling to meet basic needs, like finding shelter from the bitter cold. The situation was particularly...
Rumors swirl about balloons, UFOs as officials stay mum
WASHINGTON — Maybe they came from China. Maybe from somewhere farther away. A lot farther away. The downing of four aerial devices by U.S. warplanes has touched off rampant misinformation about the objects, their origin and their purpose, showing how complicated world events and a lack of information can quickly...
18% drop since 2020 in people with reported medical debt
WASHINGTON — The number of people with medical debt on their credit reports fell by 8.2 million — or 17.9% — between 2020 and 2022, according to a report Tuesday from the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. White House officials said in a separate draft report that the two-year drop...
1st missile strike at aerial object over Lake Huron missed
BRUSSELS — The first U.S. missile fired at an unidentified aerial object over Lake Huron missed the target and “landed harmlessly” in the water before a second one successfully hit, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday. The acknowledgment by Gen. Mark Milley of the errant strike...
AP source: Biden to name Brainard to head Economic Council
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden plans on Tuesday to name Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard as the new director of his National Economic Council, making the Ph.D. economist a key point person for coordinating policy, talking with business leaders and negotiating with Congress. Biden also plans to nominate longtime...
TikTok ‘de-influencers’ want Gen Z to buy less — and more
NEW YORK— At a time when consumers are inundated with so-called social media influencers peddling the latest products online, a slew of TikTok users are leveraging their platforms to tell people what not to buy instead. The trend, called “de-influencing,” is a stark contrast to prior ones like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt, when...
Photo gallery: Communities mourn slain McKeesport police Officer Sean Sluganski
The funeral for fallen McKeesport police Officer Sean Sluganski, 32, of McKeesport will be held at noon today at St. Albert the Great, Blessed Trinity Parish. Sluganski was shot and killed on Feb. 6 while responding to a domestic dispute between a man and his mother on Wilson Street. McKeesport...
Ohio proposal: Get parents’ OK for kids to use social media
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s governor wants the state to require parental consent for kids under 16 to get new accounts on TikTok, Snapchat and other social media platforms. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s two-year budget proposal would create a law that social media companies must obtain a parent’s permission for children...
$50M shrine to honor slain priest, 1st U.S. Catholic martyr
OKLAHOMA CITY — The birth of Stanley Francis Rother was by all accounts ordinary, aside from the weather. The Catholic farm boy came into the world during an Oklahoma dust storm. But in life — and in death — he was extraordinary. The 46-year-old priest, shot to death in Guatemala...
Pa. House bill would make it easier for formerly incarcerated to vote
From finding a job to securing a place to live, formerly incarcerated people face any number of challenges when they return to their hometowns and neighborhoods. And research shows that a steady job and access to opportunity are among the factors that play a key role in keeping someone from...
Nikki Haley announces presidential campaign, challenging Trump
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, announced her candidacy for president on Tuesday, becoming the first major challenger to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination. The announcement, delivered in a video, marks an about-face for the ex-Trump Cabinet official,...
Amid ChatGPT outcry, some teachers are inviting AI to class
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Under the fluorescent lights of a fifth grade classroom in Lexington, Kentucky, Donnie Piercey instructed his 23 students to try and outwit the “robot” that was churning out writing assignments. The robot was the new artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, which can generate everything from essays and haikus...
Penn State to remain SAT/ACT optional for applicants
High school students applying for undergraduate spots at Penn State University through fall 2025 won’t have to take the SAT or ACT for admission, as the state’s flagship public institution is extending its test-optional policy once again. Penn State introduced the program in 2020 as a one-year pilot during the...
New Zealand declares emergency as Cyclone Gabrielle easesVideo
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The New Zealand government declared a national state of emergency Tuesday after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the country’s north, leaving widespread flooding and destruction. A firefighter was missing and another was rescued with critical injuries after they were caught in a landslide overnight near the country’s largest...
